DISINFO: Russia compelled to attack Ukraine due to existential threat
SUMMARY
Russia was compelled to launch a liberation movement in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic because it had no other option. Putin had said NATO presence in Kharkiv would be an existential threat to the Russian Federation.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets claiming that NATO provoked Russia to attack Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is an act of overt aggression and a violation of international law, particularly the UN Charter. Russia has offered various false pretexts for its invasion, including claims about protecting Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, preventing NATO enlargement, and retaliating against Ukraine's alleged genocide in the non-government-controlled territories in the East of Ukraine. This aggression has led to many deaths among both the military and civilians, a ruined economy in Ukraine, and a devastating humanitarian crisis.
The Kremlin’s claims that the war was a “special military operation” to “demilitarise and denazify” Ukraine have been debunked numerous times. The war has been condemned by the UN General Assembly, the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe, among others. There is no evidence of the presence of Nazi elements in the Ukrainian government or society. Repeated polls have shown that Ukrainians are overwhelmingly opposed to far-right views.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The US inadvertently legitimised Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, that Russia's special operation in Ukraine is due to NATO's persistent expansion, and that Ukraine itself is to blame for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.